Sprinkler-head.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

P. ALLEN. SPRINKLER HEAD. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905.

Zirveaea- MM 11/ PHILIP ALLEN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPRINKLER-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed January 28, 1905. Serial No. 243,039.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP ALLEN, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprinkler- Heads, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to sprinkler-heads such as are used in automatical sprinkler systems to distribute the water from the pipes of the system upon the occurrence of a fire.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient form of head in which the holding device which is fused by the heat, thereby causing the opening of the sprinklerhead, shall be so arranged as to be readily af fected by any current of heated air and at the same time shall be protected from the influence of the cold water in the system-pipes and in engagement With the valve of the head.

In constructing such asprinkler-head I employ the various features of my invention which are set forth in the claims and which will be readily understood from the following detailed description of one form of head embodying all such features in the form and ar rangement in which I prefer to use them. This head is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of form of head shown full size. Fig. 2 1s a bottom view looking upward in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view, on an enlarged scale, to more clearly show the details of construc tion; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the sectional strut.

As shown in the drawings, the frame of the head A is provided with a screw-threaded portion A, by which it may be attached to the pipes of the sprinkler system, and is provided with a polygonal flange A for receiving a wrench by which the head may be securely screwed into position. The discharge-nozzle A of the head is normally closed by a valve B, held upon a valve-seat A, formed at the end of the nozzle. The valve is held to its seat by a strut, one end of which exerts a thrust on the valve and the other end of which is supported by an abutment. The abutment in the form of sprinkler shown con sists of a screw 0, threaded through a boss A on the frame A, so that the abutment may be adjusted toward or from the valve-seat. The strut consists of a series of blocks D interposed between the abutment C and the valve B and held together by a holding-band E.

my preferred The bandE is provided with hooked ends E, engaging opposite ends of a plate E which lies between the overlapping ends of the band and is secured thereto by easily-fusible solder. The blocks D form a sectional strut, which is formed of longitudinal segments held together by the surrounding holdingband. The outer ends of the segments D are inwardly inclined, and a spring-plate F is interposed between the abutment C and the ends of the segments.

In assembling the parts of the head the screw 0 is screwed down against the spring plate F, forcing the strut firmly against the valve, so that the valve is securely held to the valve-seat. The screwing down of the screw C bends the spring-plate F, so that it maintains an active pressure upon the outer end of the strut and will serve to compensate for any expansion or contraction of the parts or any stretching of the parts while under strain. Owing to the inclined surfaces at the end of the strut-segments, the spring-plate F exerts a lateral outward pressure upon the segments, as well as a longitudinal pressure, the lateral pressure tending to throw the seg ments outward. When the solder which holds the retaining-band E together is fused, the segments of the strut will be immediately thrown outward, so that the valve B is released, thus opening the nozzle of the sprin kler-head. A distributer-disk is held by the screw C in position beneath the discharge end of the nozzle and acts to properly distribute the water passing through the nozzle.

In the construction shown the holding device is carried by the strut and is separated from the other parts of the head by the strut. In order that the low temperature of the water in the nozzle may not interfere with the melting of the solder, I prefer to make the strut of heat-insulating materialsuch as porcelain or glass, for instance. With a strut thus formed of heat-insulating material the heat absorbed by the metallic holding device and solder will not be transmitted to and absorbed by the water in the sprinkler-head, as would be the case if the holding device came in contact with the metallic part of the sprinkler-head.

The construction and arrangement of the strut which I have shown and described readily adapts itself to the use of heatinsulating material, such as porcelain or glass, and this is the construction and arrangement which I prefer to employ in practicing this feature of my invention. It will be understood, however, that the construction and arrangement of strut of heat-insulating material and the construction and arrangement of the holding device for holding the sections of the strut in position may be varied widely without departing from this feature of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. A sprinkler-head comprising a nozzle provided with a valve-seat, a valve, a heatinsulating strut formed of longitudinal segments, a holding-band surrounding the strut provided with hooked ends, a plate between the ends of the band soldered to the band, and means for applying a longitudinal and lateral ressure on the strut-segments, substantia y as described.

2. A sprinkler-head comprising a nozzle provided with a valve-seat, a valve, a strut consisting of segmental blocks, a band surrounding the strut provided with hooked ends, a plate between the ends of the band soldered to the band, and an abutment for applying pressure to the outer end of the strut, substantially as described.

3. A sprinkler-head comprising a nozzle provided with a valve-seat, a valve, a strut consisting of segmental blocks, a holdingband provided with hooked ends, a plate be tween the ends of the band soldered to the band, an abutment, and a spring-plate between the abutment and the ends of the strutsegments, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. PHILIP ALLEN. Witnesses:

G. H. ANDEM,

W. GORDON REED, 2nd. 

